Phantasmagoria
by Little Pastry
Summary: Hayner has been having nightmares about an event in his past that keep him awake at night. He figures they'll go away, but after fainting from exhaustion while in a fight with Seifer, he knows there's a problem. Seifer/Hayner No longer updating
1. Chapter One

_A gun pointed towards a woman's head; gruff orders to hand over everything she had. She obeyed, her child clinging to her, scared out of his mind. Would they live? It didn't seem likely; these attackers acted as though they wanted far more than simple money. They acted as though they wished to take not only whatever money the woman had in her pockets, but also the very life of her and her young child. Fear ripped through the boy as he heard the gun click, and he let out a raw-throated scream for his mother as she fell to the ground, lifeless._

Hayner shot up into a sitting position, gasping for breath. He clutched at his chest, feeling his heart hammer against his ribcage. He was sitting in his own bed, in his own room. The noise he had imagined as gunshot was his alarm clock going off by his bed. The slight skater grumbled and shut it off, still spooked by the nightmare. He hadn't dreamed of that years...and suddenly it had been appearing nightly.

It had begun a week ago: dreams about the night his mother had been killed nine years ago, just before he and his father had moved to Twilight Town. Hayner hadn't been able to sleep properly since the first night. The nightmare would appear just after he'd gone to sleep, and he wouldn't be able to fall back into slumber until long after, or it would attack his psyche after a few hours' sleep and leave him so shaken that all he could do was sit in his bed and wish for something more pleasant to dream.

He climbed out of bed, taking a deep breath to stabilize himself. It was early in the morning, with the sun just barely a sliver over the horizon. It was Sunday, according to the calender in Hayner's room, so Hayner didn't really need to be up at this hour... He smiled tired and climbed back into the bed. The nightmare had never appeared more than once a night, so he was sure he was safe for now. His breathing calmed and Hayner slipped back into the realm of sleep.

_Hayner once again heard the gruff, demanding voice, but this time it seemed to come from a different source. Instead of looking up at the barrel of a gun pointed towards his mother, Hayner was the one pointing it. _He_ was the one who stared into the pleading eyes of his mother who was begging for him to spare her child. He looked down into the terrified face of his younger self, and Hayner tried to let out a cry, but all he did was aim the gun between the eyes of his mother and fire it._

Hayner once again woke with a start. This time, instead of fear, he was gripped with a terrible sadness that seemed to choke his whole body. He lifted a hand to rub at his mysteriously blurry eyes and found them wet with tears. He wasn't surprised, and curled up into the bed again. This time he vowed not to fall back asleep, lest such horrors visit him again.

--

Hayner spent the rest of the morning in bed. His mother's murder was something that had haunted Hayner for a long while. He mostly felt rage towards the attacker for what they had done, but a part of him -- some small part of him, unable to be convinced otherwise -- had always felt responsible. There was no way to explain it (Hayner had always known that it wasn't his fault) but somehow that feeling would creep back without his knowledge.

Manifesting itself in such a dream, though, was certain new. Hayner thought about it all through his very late breakfast, at which he ate little. His stepmother of two years protested this. "Don't you want something?" Her tone was motherly, sending a pang into Hayner's heart.

Hayner smiled and shook his head. "Not feeling that hungry today. Thanks, though." And then Hayner left the house, walking aimlessly in the sun of afternoon Twilight Town.

With his hands rested in his pockets, he found himself walking into the sandlot, where he spotted Seifer having a Struggle match with Rai, Fuu sitting on the sidelines watching. Rai wasn't very good at Struggling, so Seifer was having an easy time of it. The blond bully faced Rai with the arm holding his bat outstretched.

"Is that the best you've got?" He challenged the larger man. Rai might have had more pure brawn on his side, but brawn wasn't all that mattered in a Struggle match. Speed was essential as well, and Seifer had that over Rai easily. Hayner paused to watch as Rai lunged towards Seifer, bat swinging widely. Seifer dodged the blow and struck Rai's arm, the bat flying from the dark-haired male's grasp.

Seifer twirled the bat in his hand, looking bored. Obviously Rai wasn't enough of a challenge for him and his gaze drifted as Rai went to retrieve his struggle bat. Seifer's blue-green eyes widened momentarily as Hayner came into view. His trademark smirk lifted the corners of his lips.

"Chicken-wuss!" He called. "Come to check out the competition?" The blond bully lifted his bat and rested it on his shoulder.

"Shut up, Seifer. I'm not in the mood today." And to be truthful, Hayner really wasn't. He had only come out here to clear his thoughts, not get in yet another argument with the local jackasses.

"Aw, little baby afraid he's gonna get his ass kicked?"

"Fuck off!" Hayner began to bristle. "I don't have time to fight with lowlifes like you."

Seifer's smirk flashed into a satisfied grin for a moment. "You _are_ afraid."

"Am not!" Hayner threw his arms down to his sides, thoroughly irritated now. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself now. "Fuck you. I don't have time for this." He turned around and began to walk away.

"Runnin' home to mommy, huh?"

Hayner froze at this. Of course Seifer didn't know about how that simple sentence made Hayner feel; the only people who did were Pence, Olette and Roxas. He turned around slowly, glaring daggers at Seifer.

"_Fine!_ You want a fight, asshole? I'll give you one!" He stalked back over to Rai and grabbed the Struggle bat from the other man, intending to use it to beat the crap out of Seifer as best he could. Rai looked like he was going to object, but was silenced by a look from Seifer and stepped away from the two blondes.

Hayner waited, barely containing his fury, until Seifer made a slight move. He immediately lunged forward and swung quickly at Seifer's head. It was easily blocked by the stronger male, who aimed a strike towards Hayner's midsection. There was more force behind it than Hayner had expected and he was knocked sideways, nearly losing his balance. Seifer took advantage of this and moved in quickly and pushed Hayner down with his free hand, pointing the bat at the thinner boy's neck.

"Jesus, Chicken, you're off your game today," Seifer said flatly. "I figured you'd put up more of a fight than that."

Hayner growled, breathing more heavily thanks to the physical exertion. He didn't want to hear insults, he just wanted to tear off that hat of Seifer's and beat him with it. He shoved Seifer's bat away and sprang to his feet. His head began to swim from the sudden blood rush and he dropped his Struggle bat to hold a hand to his head, trying to steady himself.

He vaguely heard Seifer calling his nickname and looked towards the elder male, but his vision swam as he swayed on his feet. Hayner waited for a few seconds but the feeling wouldn't go away. Hayner took a step forward and suddenly the dizzy feeling increased tenfold and everything was dark.

The next thing Hayner knew was that he was lying on the ground of the sandlot and someone was calling to him, patting at his face. Hayner moaned and batted the hand away from his face; he wanted to sleep.

"Hayner! Wake the fuck up!"

At that voice Hayner's eyes snapped open to see Seifer looking down at him. He blinked twice before shooting up into a sitting position. Seifer just managed to dodge away from Hayner's head smashing into his chin. Hayner groaned and held his head as the dizziness returned, but it faded some as he sat there.

"You think you can stand without fainting again, Chickie?" Seifer's voice came from higher up now; Hayner saw that he was standing and brushing himself off. The slighter blond immediately frowned at the comment.

"What are you talking about?" He stood in a show of defiance to Seifer and wobbled only slightly.

"You were wobbling around like you were dizzy and then you fell. In fewer words, you fainted."

Hayner looked downwards at the ground. The last thing he remembered doing was dropping his Struggle bat...but he also recalled the events prior to that. He was ashamed that he'd lost control like that, but Seifer's comment still pissed him off.

"I'm going home," he grumbled. He felt Seifer's eyes burning into the back of his head as he walked, forcefully steadying his gait, away from the sandlot and back home. Hopefully the nightmare wouldn't plague him again, and Hayner could get some damn rest.

* * *

**A/N: **Hi! :D This is my first fiction featuring Seifer and Hayner. Please, leave a review telling me if I got characterization things and other stuff like tht wrong; it really helps! :3 And it gives me motivation for another chapter, which I intend to have on this story...


	2. Chapter Two

**A/N:** Okay so, before the fiction begins, I want to warn you: I don't go to school and never have gone, so I don't know how they do things there. This disclaimer will make sense after you read the chapter. :3;;

* * *

The morning was bright and warm, lifting the moods of even the crankiest Twilight Town citizen save for perhaps a few. Hayner, today, was one of those few. His normal attitude was brash and cheerful, ready to take on any challenge that came his way. Today Hayner did not have such a mood; he was weary from lack of sleep and cranky. He had managed to get enough rest to go to school on Monday, though he still felt generally unwell. He stared at the ground, waiting for Roxas to meet with him at the bus stop. His chocolate-colored eyes were glazed over in thought until another person came and waved a hand in front of his face. He blinked once and looked up into the face of Roxas, who was giving Hayner an odd look.

"Are you feeling okay?" Roxas asked with a raised eyebrow. "You've been kind of out of it lately."

Hayner stood and shrugged, feigning ignorance. "I dunno. Maybe I'm coming down with something." To emphasize this point, he gave a little sniffle.

Roxas tilted his head to the side and gave Hayner an analytical look that softened into a smile. "Well get some rest. We've got tests next week." He touched a hand to Hayner's shoulder as the bus came up to take the two to school. Roxas boarded it within moments of the doors opening, but Hayner paused a moment. Tests? Normally, those were the last things he wanted to do...even less so now. He sighed and climbed onto the bus, taking a seat next to Roxas and staring out the window until they reached the school. There it was that they met with Pence and Olette. The three then discussed...something...but Hayner paid little mind to it. Olette also picked up on his attitude change.

"Hayner? Hayner, I'm trying to talk to you..." She huffed, making a slightly pouty face and folding her arms across her chest.

Hayner's ears perked up at his own name, and he looked at Olette with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Olette...what were you saying?"

She just shook her head. "Nothing important. But you still should be paying attention, jeez..." Her expression changed from annoyed to what could be called concern. "You've been spacing out a lot like that lately. What's wrong?"

"I..." Hayner considered telling them what was really bothering him. But then they would insist he find someone to help, maybe they themselves would try to assist...but there was nothing they could do. It wasn't really worth worrying them, he decided as he shook his head. "It's nothing; I'm just a little tired."

The four took their seats in their first class of the day. "Don't space out too much," Olette warned, "you need to know this stuff."

Hayner nodded, though inside he scoffed. Did knowing the names of all the cities really matter? What about studying some random language that he'd never use? Or knowing how to find the inside angle of the triangle, or whatever it was? Hayner tapped his pencil against the desk as class began, thankful for his desk being in the back area. The teacher likely wouldn't notice his lack of attention, thanks to that.

He found himself dozing off at his desk, with Roxas nudging him every now and then to wake him. It was happening in every class he attended that day, and by third period Roxas -- whom Hayner shared most of his classes with -- was fed up and decided to take charge. The blue-eyed teen raised his hand, even with Hayner's whispered protests.

"You have a question?" The teacher asked brightly. A student with an inquiring mind was always welcome in her class.

"Miss Gale, Hayner's not feeling well." At this, Roxas pointed to an annoyed Hayner. "Can he go to the nurse's office?"

"No, I'm fine, I don't--"

"Of course." Miss Gale smiled warmly. "I'll get a hall pass for you," she said, now addressing Hayner and gesturing for him to come up front. He avoided everyone's gaze, instead opting to stare directly in front of himself and accept the slip of paper with a muttered 'thanks'. He paused to look at Roxas, who had a satisfied expression on his face, and walked out of the room.

After he exited the classroom, he twirled the paper in his fingers, wondering if he should really go to the nurse's office or just play hooky. He half-smiled and shook his head at that thought. He _did_ want to get through school eventually, so...yeah. Playing hooky wouldn't do that. He trudged into the nurse's office, only to find the last person he'd expected there, standing by the desk.

"Woah, Chicken. That's a surprise."

Hayner groaned and rubbed the bridge of his nose. What was Seifer doing _here_ -- and in his gym uniform nonetheless? He had no reason to randomly wander into the nurse's office...maybe he hurt himself. Hayner shut the door behind him.

"Goddammit, Seifer, you're everywhere," he muttered, and stepped past the other male to talk to the nurse. "Hi, I'm not feeling well, so can I just, like, chill here for a little while?" The nurse had already stood up from her seat at the desk. She looked at Seifer and gave him an expression that said 'hold on just a moment'. The scarred teen just sighed and shifted his weight to his other foot, rubbing at one wrist.

"What feels bad?" She asked Hayner as she led the blond into the second room that was the nurse's office. It included two small beds for patients to rest on, both with clean white sheets and a curtain between the two in case there were two patients there who preferred to pretend that they were alone. "Do you feel sick to your stomach?"

Hayner wondered for a second if just being tired would be enough to let him stay here for a while. That was really all that was wrong with him, after all -- the nightmare that had been keeping him awake. So he lied -- sort of. It was more like making the truth very vague. "I dunno, I'm just feeling kinda bad...it'll probably go away if I rest a while."

The nurse looked at him for a few seconds, as if she knew he wasn't telling the exact truth, but then she just smiled. "Tell me when you feel well enough to go to class." She then left Hayner in that room to attend to whatever Seifer's problem was. Hayner slipped his shoes off and reclined on the bed. His eyelids drooped...this was very peaceful...maybe he wouldn't dream about it this time, maybe...maybe he could just get some rest...

But before he could even fully drift off he felt a creeping sensation. He sighed and sat up, pulling his knees to his chest and staring pointlessly at his feet. Obviously this place was just like all the others. Why wouldn't it be, anyway? The dream was in _his_ mind, and it would continue to stay there until he figured out why or it decided to go away on its own. While he was in the realm of thought Seifer entered the room and paused at the doorway momentarily before seating himself on the other bed.

"What brings a little miss like you here?" Seifer asked, adjusting the bandage that was now on his wrist.

Hayner snorted. "Shove it, Seifer. I'm feeling sick."

"You're looking it, too. What's up?"

Okay...that was a change of pace: Seifer actually _cared?_ Or was it just need for more information with which to tease Hayner? He narrowed his brown eyes suspiciously. "What do you mean, I 'look it'?"

"I don't know, you've just been looking really tired and shit lately. 'S hard not to notice."

Hayner froze for a second, and then relaxed. There was no way Seifer could know. "Things have just been...busy at home," he quickly lied. He avoided Seifer's gaze as he did so; it felt kind of weird to be lying to the older student.

"...if you say so." Seifer tested his wrist by bending it, and winced slightly.

Hayner frowned. He didn't recall being such a bad liar. "What's wrong with your wrist?"

"I fell in gym, tried to catch myself on the floor and twisted my wrist. I'm fine, but they _insisted_ I go to the nurse. And now _she_ insists on calling my parents. She's doing that now." Seifer stopped looking at his wrist, instead choosing to lock eyes with Hayner, who for some reason couldn't stand to do that and looked away, slumping back on the bed and resting his head on the pillow.

"And your little posse, they haven't noticed your change in attitude?"

Hayner sighed, letting his eyelids drop closed. "What's with all these questions? It's not like you care."

"It's not so much concern as simple curiosity." Hayner heard Seifer shift on the bed and peeked one eye open to see him leaning back on his own bed.

"Whatever. I'm gonna take a nap." Hayner rolled over so that he wasn't facing Seifer.

"Sweet dreams."

Hayner gave a small, disapproving laugh -- _'Sweet dreams, he says, as if I'll be able to have them'_ -- but said no more. The room was quiet and peaceful, and though Seifer was there Hayner found it easy to fall asleep.

And though he slept, for once he did not dream.

--

It was the most restful sleep Hayner had experienced in a long while. The nurse woke him after a single hour, though he would have liked to have slept for much longer. He glanced sleepily around the room to see that he and the nurse were alone.

"Where'd Seifer go?" He mumbled sleepily, mostly to himself. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, feeling rested and weary at the same time.

He started slightly as the nurse answered him. "Seifer went back to class a little while ago. He made a bit of a racket, but you didn't even stir."

Hayner could understand why; he had slept very deeply. But what gave him hope, what made him wonder, was that he had no nightmares. Something had been different this time and he was able to rest properly. He smiled up at the nurse before bending down and fixing his shoes back onto his feet.

"I'm feeling a lot better. I'm going to head back to class, if that's okay."

"Of course it is." She walked into the reception room with Hayner following close behind. She opened one of the drawers of the oaken desk and removed a small piece of paper and proceeded to write something on it. She handed it to Hayner, explaining its function. "This will excuse you for being late. Have a nice day."

Hayner nodded and tucked the paper into his pocket before exiting the nurse's office. Immediately he felt eyes on him and looked around to see Roxas walking towards him. Apparently it was between classes, and Hayner was glad for that. It meant he could regain his bearings more easily and not enter the middle of class, immediately making himself conspicuous.

"Thanks for sending me off to the nurse," Hayner said sarcastically as he match Roxas's pace.

"No problem. Feeling better?" Roxas looked expectantly at him, with a gleam in his eyes as though he already knew the answer.

Hayner said nothing, but gave a small grumble and smacked Roxas playfully across his blond, spiky head.

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews, guys! I hope this chapter lived up to your expectations...I thought it felt kind of boring and lame but my little sister liked it, so...well, I hope you liked it. Leave a review telling me what you thought.


	3. Chapter Three

Waning moonlight filtered through a window as the blond figure of Hayner shifted beneath his covers. The remnants of summer were clinging hard to the autumn season, with temperatures that were still warm and the trees and plants still very green. There hadn't yet been a telltale chilly breeze that bespoke the first signs of autumn. Hayner threw away the covers (they were much too warm over his slim frame) and climbed out of bed, moving to the open window and leaning outward.

He looked out over Twilight Town in the wee hours of the morning. His tired eyes watched a pair of cats circle around each other, apparently meeting for the first time. They looked like two toms, and Hayner figured that they were about to claw each others' ears off, but to the skater's surprise he saw them rub their muzzles together. Now _that_ was an odd sight. He blinked a few times and yawned widely, his teeth making a small click as they came in contact when he closed his mouth.

The only reason Hayner was awake at this point was, of course, because the nightmares still came. They were less relentless than usual – like they had been the night Hayner had gotten in a fight with Seifer. Hayner had thought long and hard about this but he couldn't figure out for the life of him why.

He moved away from the window and flopped back down on his bed. He didn't bother with the covers; it was still so warm, so why would he need them? Instead Hayner stared up at the ceiling, thinking about anything that popped into his sleep-deprived mind, and hoping not to fall back asleep.

--

He couldn't figure out whether it was good luck or misfortune, but Hayner managed not to sleep, though he did doze for a while. His alarm clock rang out with a cheerful bell noise, thoroughly irritating the blond. He fumbled with the switch to turn it off, but the thing eventually was silenced. He noted with a stifled shiver that it had gotten colder; perhaps summer was finally loosening its grip.

Hayner drew a hand through his hair and made his way into the bathroom, shutting the door and locking it with a small click. He looked into the mirror and immediately let out a groan of disappointment. He'd known he hadn't been looking his best lately, but he wished it wasn't so obvious. There were dark patches under his eyes, and his normally bright brown eyes were dull.

Hayner sighed and reached for his toothbrush, scrubbing at his teeth to rid himself of that morning-mouth taste before he stripped out of his bedclothes and stepped into the shower, turning the knob and adjusting the temperature until it was hot, but not scalding. He stepped under the spray and felt the drops drumming against his back.

Not more than ten minutes later Hayner stepped out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist, and another draped over his still-damp hair and shoulders. A cloud of steam followed after Hayner until he was a few paces' distance away from the bathroom. He proceeded to enter his room and rummage through his drawers for something adequate to wear. An old white tank top and some khaki-colored cargo shorts were the first things he found, so he slipped them on.

Hayner was now feeling more awake, and though his mind was still screaming at him to go to sleep, his stomach was now requesting food. He quickly made his way down the stairs to the kitchen and noted that father had already left for work. A note on the table told him where his stepmother had gone – she also worked as a secretary in some business or another. Hayner had never payed much attention to when she had explained where she worked.

He left the note where it lay and prepared some cereal for himself. As he ate it, he gave a glance at some other random papers on the table. They reminded him of his schoolwork. At this point, Hayner had lost all interest in school, if he'd ever had any at all. When he glanced at a math quiz all he saw were meaningless numbers and symbols. History was facts that simply needed to be memorized, with no real purpose in knowing it except for _it's the history of your ancestors – you should know these things!_

Hayner shook his head. Why bother going to school? Well... Pence, Olette and Roxas would be pissed off...though Hayner wondered _if_ Pence could get angry. He was so peaceful most of the time. Hayner half-smiled. No, he wouldn't go to school today. He wouldn't remember most of whatever they tried to teach him, so there was little point in going at all.

Hayner set his dish in the sink and walking into the living room, flopping down on the couch. He discovered that TV was pretty uninteresting at this time of day...it was mostly kids' shows. He sneered as he saw a few children dancing around a yellow frog monster. It was...disturbing, to say the least.

It was annoying, and disturbing, but not nearly entertaining enough to keep Hayner awake for very long. Before the dancing yellow frog monster show had finished, Hayner had lapsed into sleep. The sleep was not, however, deep enough to be very restful at all, but Hayner did not dream during it. Instead, he slept in this early stage for hours – until half past two in the afternoon.

He sat up sleepily. He last remembered being in a sitting position, but just then he had been lying on the couch. He once again yawned very widely, his jaw making a small crack as it stretched. He glanced blearily around the room...his father wasn't home yet, nor was the woman he had married. Hayner frowned, finding a sudden distaste for his long-time home, and went to don his shoes. He gave one last glance at the living room before exiting his home.

He trotted down the steps and out onto the sidewalk, his hands in his pockets. The blond didn't really notice which direction he was going in, but the fresh air was pleasant. His walk began to speed up until he was running down the sidewalk. People didn't give him a second glance as he passed by; running was fairly common in Twilight Town. Since there weren't any cars, the main mode of transport was by bicycle or, more commonly, using your own to feet.

He ran until his lungs burned for air and his heart pounded in his chest. He slowed down as a bench came into sight and he sat himself down, panting for breath. He lowered his head to his knees to stop the dizziness. He shouldn't have run that far, or that fast...

After a few moments, he had recovered his bearings enough to look up at where he was. The area had fewer trees than most places in Twilight Town...oh, Hayner had been here before, but not recently. Now that he knew where he was, he would be able to find his way home again, though the slight shakiness in his limbs told him he would need to talk frequent rests. A familiar voice brought him out of his thoughts.

"You're looking like three kinds of awful, Chickie."

It was Seifer, _again._ Hayner sighed and looked up at the older male, expecting to see a sneer on his face. Instead there was a look of interest, and a glint in his eyes that spoke of something else. Had Hayner been in one of his usual moods, that would have greatly interested him. Right now, though, he just sort of...wanted to be left alone.

"Screw you," he muttered without conviction. "What are you doin' here, anyway?"

"Walking home. I didn't see you in class today." Seifer adjusted his grip on his schoolbag.

"No duh, genius. I didn't go."

Seifer didn't respond for a few seconds. "Why not?"

"Cause like you said I feel like crap."

"And the reason for this _is_...?"

"What is this, the Spanish Inquisition?" Hayner snapped. Seifer didn't give this more than the blink of an eye, though.

Hayner sighed and rubbed wearily at his eyes. "I...haven't been sleeping much."

"I noticed--"

Hayner cut him off with an aggravated sigh.

Seifer eyed the other blond for a few moments. "Watch your tongue, Chicken. Just 'cause I'm showing interest in your life doesn't mean I'll let you snap at me like that." Those words held the tone Seifer normally used; aggressive, superior, and something Hayner just didn't want to hear right now.

"I'm tired of you _treating _me like this!" With a frown like he would have worn a week ago, Hayner stood quickly to face off against Seifer. At the sudden motion the dizzy feeling decided to make a comeback, and Hayner was on unsteady feet. He couldn't keep his balance and pitched forward.

Instead of hitting pavement, like he'd expected to, the skater's arm had been caught by Seifer and he had been pulled to the safety of Seifer's arms. His heartbeat sped up – most likely due to the previous dizziness – and after it passed Hayner pushed Seifer away, avoiding the bully's gaze.

"How far is your house from here?" Hayner heard Seifer ask quietly.

"Dunno...I ran here, but I didn't bother noticing how far away I was."

Seifer paused for a few minutes before he grasped Hayner's bicep and began to walk...somewhere. Hayner made a small, indignant noise that Seifer recognized as a question. "We're going to my house," he stated. Hayner would have struggled, Hayner would have objected – but Hayner didn't feel that was the best decision.

The pace Seifer set wasn't too fast for Hayner, like he was taking Hayner's weakness into account. Hayner's face burned in irritation and embarrassment at getting this special treatment from Seifer; it obviously meant that the older teen felt nothing but pity for Hayner. He said nothing, though, and the two soon arrived at Seifer's home.

Well, more like where Seifer's home _was_. It was an apartment complex that looked fairly new and well-kept. Hayner had more expected Seifer to live in...actually, Hayner had never given thought to where Seifer lived. Now he had a small, nagging curiosity in the back of his mind about what the inside of the older blond's home was like.

"You're lucky I live on the first floor," Seifer commented, "and not the third. They're still working on the elevators."

Hayner had to admit, he didn't want to walk up two flights of stairs. Even though he'd recovered from his running session the thought of traversing the staircases was still unappealing.

It suddenly came to his notice that Seifer's grip on his arm had shifted; instead of feeling the older male's large, rough hand on his upper arm, his fingers encircled Hayner's wrist. The thinner blond blinked at this, but said nothing as he was led through the building to a door with the number _124_ tacked onto it.

Seifer now released Hayner's arm and searched his pockets for a key. It took him mere moments to produce the item and unlock the door, and he stepped inside, waiting for Hayner to follow him before closing it with a small clunk.

"So this is your home, huh? It's really small," Hayner commented. The size of the apartment looked big enough to hold one person, _maybe_ two – if they really squeezed.

Seifer kicked off his shoes and dropped his bag next to the door. "It does the job." He then moved into the kitchen-y area of the tiny home and Hayner followed. Seifer motioned for the younger to sit down at the table. There were two chairs there, and Hayner took the one farthest from the wall.

"You want anything?" Seifer asked, his back turned. He was doing...something...at the rather bare counters. Seifer obviously wasn't one for excessive decoration.

"Yeah, how about an explanation?" Hayner countered, tilting his chair back. Seifer's reaction was a glance with a raised eyebrow. He continued, "You're acting weird. Like...actually halfway decent."

"Nice to know you think so highly of me," was the only response Hayner's comment earned. The taller blond sat in the chair opposite Hayner with a mug in his hand. There was a short pause that increased Hayner's already impatient feeling. Seifer looked at the drink swirling around in his cup. He then raised his gaze, greenish-blue eyes focusing intently on Hayner's chocolate-colored ones.

"What's bothering you?"

Hayner snorted. Seifer had been unusually good to him so far, but Hayner wasn't about to spill all his problems. "No, lemme ask you something first: why do you care?"

"I just _do_, okay? It's possible for me to have concern for others, y'know."

"Really. I thought the concerns you ever had were looking _cool_ in front of _Fuu_--"

"She's got nothing to do with this! Just 'cause you'd rather be a bitch then actually explain--"

"--oh _I'm_ the bitch, because I don't want to talk to _you--_"

"--I guess you'd rather bitch to your mommy then--"

"_Fine!_" Hayner gave an aggravated cry that silenced any of Seifer's arguments. "I'll spill. Nightmares. I've been having these horrible nightmares all week and I can't get any sleep and they're never gonna go away so I'm just gonna go crazy and I don't need _you_ to make it worse!"

Hayner glared daggers at the table, his breathing slightly heavier. He had sort of expected this silence -- what exactly _would_ someone say to that? But before he could demand a response from Seifer, he received one.

"You slept fine that day in the nurse's office."

Not exactly the one he'd expected, though.

Hayner shook his head weakly. His anger was pretty much gone, though some annoyance still clung to him like fog to an evening riverbank. "I didn't have any nightmares then."

"What about when you went to bed that day?"

"They came back."

Seifer nodded and leaned back in his chair, eyes filled with the light of thought. He blinked and made a small 'mm' noise before looking back at Hayner.

"What, you got an idea?" The slight blond asked. His tone was bitter, as if he assumed nothing -- and no one -- could help him.

"Yeah. Sleep here tonight."

* * *

**A/N: **Dun dun dun! :O I hope you didn't all see that coming. Kind of ruins the surprise if you did.


	4. Chapter Four

For a single moment Hayner was glad he hadn't asked for a drink or something to eat from Seifer. What with Seifer's last comment, Hayner figured he would have spat it all over the table. He was currently giving Seifer a look that was filled with shock and disbelief. Hayner gave a little cough before he found his voice.

"Excuse me, I think I've finally started hallucinating," he said with a sarcastic edge. "It sounded like you said I should sleep _here_ tonight."

"I did say that." Seifer folded his arms across his chest.

Hayner looked away from the other male. Nothing was making sense anymore, even the things that should have been set in stone. It was as if something had plucked him from his own world and thrown him into one where everything _looked_ the same, but nothing _was_ the same.

"Why would me spending the night here help?" Something inside of Hayner, the part that had felt hope when his dreams receded, asked in a small voice: _Why would it hurt?_ It urged him to try whatever he could.

"You didn't have nightmares when you slept in the nurse's office. Maybe they're tied to where you sleep." Seifer shrugged one shoulder. "I don't see anyone else making offers like this. What've you got to lose?"

"How about my _dignity?_"

"You lost that one a long time ago." Seifer's lips twitched upwards in a smirk.

Now that was more familiar. Though, Seifer had a point: what _did_ Hayner have to lose by taking him up on his offer? He wouldn't be able to try out that theory until the weekend at the earliest, seeing as nobody really held sleepovers during the school week. And Hayner really, really wanted to sleep easily at night.

"Answer me one question before I decide: why do you want to help me? It's so...uncharacteristic."

"You know I'm the head of the Twilight Disciplinary Committee, right?" It was, of course, a rhetorical question. Seifer made his position clear to everyone. "I know you were always too busy making trouble, but that relates to the _protection_ of this town and its inhabitants. That means I protect you, too. Even from things in your mind." Seifer's gaze met Hayner's for a moment and the skater was slightly surprised to see _warmth_ in Seifer's eyes.

But as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone along with Hayner's will to argue.

"Guess it couldn't hurt," he mumbled. And then in a louder voice, he said, "But it's Tuesday. My dad won't let me stay anywhere overnight unless it's the weekend."

"Call your folks and tell 'em you went home with one of your little friends and you're staying late to study. Tomorrow, tell them you fell asleep or something."

t wasn't that bad an idea, Hayner had to admit. But he was still averse to spending the night in Seifer's home – Seifer had always been something of an ass, though he seemed to be trying to redeem this fact.

"...get me your phone then," Hayner grumbled, pushing out his lower lip in annoyance.

A satisfied expression crossed Seifer's features and he gestured to his left – where the counter was. Hayner's gaze followed it and he spotted a phone mounted on the wall. What piqued Hayner's interest was that it looked like a model that was much older than what he was familiar with: instead of a cordless phone that was pretty much self-contained with buttons and everything on the phone itself (buttons, screen, antenna), this phone had a cord, a hook and little buttons on the base.

Hayner made his way over to the counter and picked up the electronic device. "Dude, your phone is ancient," was his comment as he dialed in his home number. The phone rang once, twice, three times, and then a few more before Hayner was forwarded to the answering machine. The message he left was short and to the point – although not exactly truthful. He had stated himself to be at Roxas's house and staying late to study, so they shouldn't expect him to be in for dinner.

He set the phone back on the hook and glanced back towards Seifer, who was still situated at the table. "It's done. Now what?"

"Now," Seifer said as he stood and took a step closer to Hayner, "you go take a nap. Or get something to eat, or watch television or something. I've got homework, though, so don't bug me." Hayner watched as Seifer backtracked through the apartment and retrieved his schoolbag from where it sat by the front door. He gave Hayner one last glance before heading off to, presumably, his bedroom.

Hayner stood in the kitchen for a few more moments, considering what to do next. He hadn't had lunch, he remembered as he scratched gently at his stomach, so raiding Seifer's refrigerator seemed in order. Hayner swung his head in the direction of it. It was a smaller thing, not one of those full-size gigantic fridges one would normally see at the furniture stores these days.

When Hayner opened it, it was stocked with plenty of food. Random things, deli meats and cheeses and...Well, stuff. Hayner was surprised to see very little junk food-type items, though. _I guess Seifer likes to eat healthy,_ he mused as he put together a sandwich, not bothering with a plate.

He made quick work of the sandwich before looking into the living room. There was a small television and a couple of chairs that looked pretty comfy, but not good for sleeping in. Hayner suddenly wondered where he would be bedding down that night. This apartment seemed much too small for a guest bedroom. _Seifer probably has a sleeping bag or something I can use._

And on that note of Seifer, Hayner quietly walked through the apartment, looking for the door that lead into Seifer's bedroom. It wasn't hard; this was a very basic apartment with one bathroom, one bedroom, one kitchen and one living room. Every room had limited decoration, though the rooms themselves were nice enough.

But when Hayner came across Seifer's room, he recalled the older blond's warning not to bother him. Hayner grinned, unable to contain his curiosity. The door was open just a crack – enough for Hayner to gently push it open noiselessly and sneak inside. This room, unlike the others, was cluttered with_ things_ – clothes littered around, but mostly centered around a pile in one of the corners, and small trinkets on various shelves.

The thing that caught Hayner's eyes, though, was the Struggle Champion trophy. It had nearly been Hayner's, but Seifer was just too good at the sport. He practiced most of the year, it seemed, unless it was far too cold to go outside, and though Hayner tried desperately he couldn't compete.

His gaze was now drawn to the figure of Seifer – without his hat and coat, oddly enough – leaning back in a chair and tapping his pencil against a desk that was pressed against the outer wall. Hayner walked up and looked right over Seifer's shoulder at the homework Seifer was working on, and immediately got an elbow in the face. The slight blond was sent tumbling backwards, clutching his nose and muttering curses.

"Fuck! Hayner? What the hell are you doing in here?" Hayner opened his watery eyes and saw Seifer, who had turned in his chair to see who had surprised him like that, looking an odd mix of irritated and concerned.

"I was _exploring,_ thanks." Hayner took his hands away from his face and glared at Seifer.

"I told you not to bother me! Oh goddammit, you're bleeding..."

Hayner sat up, still on the floor, then brushed a finger against his nose and pulled it away to see a small trickle of blood. He wasn't surprised – because damn, Seifer hit hard – but he seriously wasn't happy. He looked up from his finger to see that Seifer had stood and was now offering Hayner a hand so that he could do the same. Hayner took it and immediately turned to head to the bathroom when he felt Seifer's hand grasp his shoulder. He glanced back towards Seifer, confused.

"My bed. Now."

Hayner's face immediately became shaded red in a blush. What was Seifer implying?! Hayner opened his mouth to try to talk, but no sound came out. Seifer just bit back a grin, forcing a half-smile instead, and removed his hand from Hayner's shoulder and touched it to his forehead.

"No, Chickie, it's not what your dirty little mind thinks. Just sit the hell down." Seifer pushed Hayner towards the bed and, not looking to see whether his guest had landed safely (which he had) he began to rummage through the random stuff on his desk. He quickly located a box of tissues and took a seat next to Hayner on the bed.

Hayner, at this point, was completely confused. He was perfectly capable of cleaning his own face up, so why did Seifer feel the need to do it? Seifer grasped Hayner's chin in his hand and tilted the younger blond's head downwards, gently wiping away the blood on Hayner's upper lip.

Hayner grabbed Seifer's wrist and pulled the hand that was wiping at Hayner's face away. "I can take care of myself, y'know. What are you doing this for?"

"I just elbowed you in the face after you've been missing sleep for a week. Even I've got a conscience." Seifer freed his hand from Hayner's grasp and made a moment of eye contact before deeming his face to be sufficiently clean and tossed the crumpled tissues into a trash bin that sat by the desk. "Also, I don't want you bleeding on my pillow."

Hayner tilted his head to the side just slightly, indicating to Seifer that he didn't understand.

"This," Seifer said, patting the bed, "is where you're sleeping."

"W-What? I can't!" _This is _Seifer's bed_! I can't sleep here!_ "Where will you–"

"Shut up. I've already decided." Seifer stood up and moved over to the desk where he'd previously been sitting. "Now get some sleep," he ordered, and sat down at the desk to work on his homework He seemed to be ignoring Hayner, who was left with nothing better to do then glance at the pillow, then back at Seifer, and kick his shoes off before crawling slightly uneasily under the covers. He desperately hoped that if the nightmares chose to strike that night, it wouldn't be the one where he woke up with tears in his chocolate-brown eyes.

Nearly two minutes after his head hit the pillow, Hayner drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

--

Hayner opened his eyes to see that the light was still on, and he had a very dry throat. He flopped sleepily into a sitting position, taking a few moments to remember where he was. His head swung towards the door and Hayner sleepily made his way out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. Most lights were off, which meant Seifer had probably gone to bed too...but where, exactly?

Hayner's sleep-addled brain didn't give it much thought until he returned to the bedroom with a quenched thirst. He spotted Seifer asleep at the desk, his arms folded across the surface and his head rested on them. His scarred face held the most peaceful expression Hayner had seen on Seifer in a very long time.

The slighter blond smiled softly and pulled a blanket off of Seifer's bed and draped it over the older teen. As he did so, a piece of paper fluttered off of the desk and Hayner plucked it up off of the floor, turning it over to read whatever was on it.

'_Seifer,  
I hope you're well, honey. I've tried talking to your father about things, but he's so stubborn. I want the best for you and I think it would be best to continue living away from home for a while longer. The check is for the bills and rent and food so don't go spending it on random trinkets. I love you.  
Mom.'_

What did all of that mean? It _did_ explain why Seifer's apartment was meant for one person – because only one person was living there. But, what was this business with his father? Obviously something happened, and now Hayner felt a severe need to find out.

But not right now, he decided, setting the paper down and switching off the light. He found his way back into the bed and under the now-lighter covers and resolved to speak about the letter in the morning.

Or maybe, depending on Seifer's reaction, never.

* * *

**A/N: **And so, the plot thickens. :3


	5. Chapter Five

Pale light streamed in through the curtained window, indicating that the sun had come fully over the horizon. It was like it was screaming at Hayner to get out of bed and face the day. Hayner grumbled and rolled onto his stomach, snuggling further under the covers. He didn't want to wake up, he was actually sleeping, instead of merely wishing he could. But the light was bright in the room, and someone was now calling his name.

"Mnn, 'm sleeping," he mumbled. He then tried to tell the other person to go away, but it only came out as an intelligible murmur. He heard a few soft steps and then a hand was on his back, shaking him less then gently. In response Hayner shrugged it away and shoved his head under the pillow.

"Not anymore, get up," he heard Seifer say before the pillow was snatched away from its place, and Hayner raised his head, blinking blearily but still trying to give a nasty look to Seifer. The more alert teen noticed this and pulled away the blankets, dumping them on the floor, much to Hayner's chagrin. The sleepy blond sat up reluctantly and rubbed at his eyes while Seifer merely stood next to the pile of bedding and waited for Hayner to be a little more responsive.

In a few moments, he was. "Seifer, what're you getting me up for? It's..." Hayner looked around for a clock, but could see none, so he settled for, "...too damn early."

"I let you sleep at late as I could without you missing school." Seifer immediately turned around and moved to the doorway. There, he paused for a moment, hand rested on the frame. "I made breakfast. Hope you like bacon." And then he was gone.

Hayner took a whiff of the air around him; it certainly smelled like bacon, which brought a smile to Hayner's face. There wasn't usually bacon around his own home, but when there was it was usually snapped up fairly quickly by his father or any guests in the home. In short, there wasn't enough of a good thing. He stood up and brushed his now-messy hair away from his face.

The floor was cold beneath Hayner's feet as he shuffled out of Seifer's room and into the kitchen. He saw a plate of bacon sitting on the table, as well as a plate of eggs. Seifer was standing next to the stove, and Hayner noticed for the first time that he looked nearly fully dressed save for a pair of shoes. Today he had foregone his usual attire for something less distinctive: a black collared shirt – could it be called a _polo?_ – and some unremarkable blue jeans. His trademark cap was, of course, placed on his blond head.

He turned and looked at Hayner for a moment as the tired blond entered the room. For a moment their eyes locked, and then Seifer furrowed his brow for a moment before turning his attention once again to the food that was cooking on the stove. "Your food's on the table."

Hayner blinked appreciatively but said nothing as he sat down to eat. He knew the last thing he'd eaten was that sandwich some ten or so hours ago, but he wasn't feeling too hungry. He still snagged a couple pieces of bacon to eat, though, and pushed around his eggs. Seifer sat down moments later and the two sat there in silence. It felt slightly awkward to Hayner, but he didn't quite understand why. All he knew was that he wanted it to break.

Thanks to Seifer, it did. "Looked like you slept pretty well last night." He glanced up from his food with a questioning gaze.

"Oh, um...yeah." Hayner gave a smile, fingering the fork in his grip. "I think you might've been right about the dreams being related to where I sleep..."

Seifer nodded, then said, "I thought you'd be hungry, though. You slept for a good twelve or so hours." He pointed his fork at Hayner's plate, and the younger of the two let his gaze drop so that he was looking at it.

"Not much appetite, I guess."

Seifer gave this no response, instead opting to eat the remainder of the food on his plate while Hayner just stared into the two yolks of the eggs on his plate. Seifer stood and picked up his plate, the one that had the bacon on it and Hayner's, placing the latter two in the refrigerator as opposed to the sink.

"Better get a move on, Chickie." With a backwards glance, Seifer left the room, leaving Hayner at the table to consider his words.

_Get a move on, he says._ But where would Hayner go? To his house, maybe, or to school. His friends were probably worried sick about him, and that thought made Hayner feel slightly guilty. They had surely wondered where he went, maybe they tried to call his house – shit. Shit, shit, shit. If one of them called his dad to ask why Hayner hadn't gone to school, Hayner would probably get grounded and driven to and from school to make sure he didn't skip, and – he really should have thought this through more.

Hayner gave his head a quick shake. Thinking things through wasn't his forte, as Olette and Roxas had often told him, so there was no reason for him to start doing so now. Quickly, he formulated something of a plan. It would be hard – nearly impossible – to cover his tracks if the two factors of his friends and his father had met, but...maybe he would be inspired when the time came.

For a moment Hayner considered going home, but missing two days in a row, with no excuse call to the school, looked pretty suspicious. It would be best to at least attend school that day, even if he didn't get anything out of it – though Hayner felt like he could get through the day a little more easily.

Quickly, he went on a hunt for his shoes, which he found next to Seifer's bed where he had removed them the night before. After doing so he arrived at the front door to find Seifer waiting for him, standing with his bag slung over one should and a hand rested on his hip. "The world can't wait all day," Seifer muttered impatiently, usual irritated expression on his face. _Looks like some things never change..._

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going." Hayner stepped out the door and into the hall. He hadn't paid much attention to the surroundings yesterday, and now he wished he had. He didn't really want to arrive at school in the company of Seifer...people would think things. What kind of things, Hayner didn't know, but they were things he didn't want people thinking. But it was, honestly, unavoidable, so Hayner waited as Seifer locked the door and led the way out of the apartment building.

The air was hot and humid, and the sky was clouded. Hayner was no meteorologist, but even he could tell when it was going to rain. He just hoped it would hold off until after he went home that day.

"So, where're you headed?" Seifer turned and looked with some interest to Hayner.

"I'm gonna go to school. I skipped yesterday, didn't tell anyone."

"Follow me, then." The older teen motioned with one hand and began to traverse the usual route he took to school. Hayner noted that he must live fairly close to it if he walked.

It was quiet as the two walked. Seifer apparently didn't feel the need to make small talk, and Hayner was feeling rather absentminded. It was feeling cooler today, and Hayner wished he'd put on something more than just a tank top. He folded his arms across his chest, rubbing at his elbows.

The school came into sight nearly ten minutes later and Seifer stopped and turned to the younger teen. "You go on ahead. Your little friends'll be falling all over themselves to talk to you, and they'll probably think I had something to do with your disappearance yesterday."

Of course, Seifer _did_ sort of have something to do with it, but the reason for Hayner's absence was certainly not Seifer-related. So Hayner just nodded in agreement and quickened his pace so that he was a good distance ahead of Seifer. He opened the door to a bustling hallway, indicating that he wasn't late to school – not yet. But, wait...he didn't have any of his books with him! They were all in his bag, and that was back at home.

Hayner cursed under his breath and made his way to his locker anyway. His and Roxas's lockers were next to each other, so it was likely that he would see the other blond there. Not to his surprise, he saw Roxas with his back turned, rummaging through his open locker. Hayner simply stood just behind him, waiting to be noticed.

In but a few moments the blue-eyed blond turned around and gave a sharp gasp, obviously not expecting to see Hayner. There was a flicker of relief in his eyes, then it turned to classic Roxas irritation. "Hayner! Where _were_ you yesterday? I didn't see you in any–"

"Any classes, I know. I wasn't feeling so hot so I took yesterday off." Hayner waved a hand, acting nonchalant. It was the truth, so if Roxas decided to use his magical lie detecting powers, they would be ineffective. And by the scrutinizing look in Roxas's eyes, the shorter blond was doing just that.

"Then why didn't you pick up when I called your house right after I got home?"

Hayner hadn't answered the phone because at that time, he had probably been walking to Seifer's house. _As if I'd tell Roxas that!_ Instead, he answered, "I was probably asleep."

Roxas looked at him for a few more moments before he shook his head. "You probably needed a rest day anyway. But answer your phone next time." He turned his attention back to his own locker.

Hayner was flooded with relief. When Roxas had called his house, no one had picked up, which meant that his father hadn't caught on. He would only scold Hayner for not coming home the previous night, but Hayner felt that was a fair trade for a full nights' sleep.

"Roxas? I, um, I forgot my bag." Hayner head Roxas sigh.

"You want to mooch off of me and my books, don't you."

"_If_ you wouldn't mind."

--

The day passed without incident until the last 'class' of the day arrived – study hall. He and Roxas shared it; as it went, most of the classes Hayner had he shared with Roxas. A few had Pence and Olette as well, but not many. Hayner was enjoying the peace of the uneventful day, content to just watch the clock with a book open on the table in front of him. Roxas was seated next to him, focusing intently on his studies.

Hayner leaned back in his chair, pulling the book down into his lap to stare at it more. He suppressed a yawn. He was still tired, even though he slept for so long the other night...his sleep debt must have been greater than he assumed. The minutes passed; his eyelids drooped; and once again Hayner found himself dreaming.

_A scene similar by far to the ones that had recently gripped Hayner's dream world: yet another reenacting of the occasion of his mother's death. It started earlier this time: a young Hayner walking down the darkened streets of a city. Looking back, Hayner knew she had been concerned about being in a place like this at this time of the evening, but she hadn't shared her worries with Hayner._

_He had been holding her hand, saying one thing or another, when the pair passed a particularly dark alleyway. Suddenly a hand reached out and grabbed Hayner's mother's arm, pulling her into the passage. Her grip on Hayner's had caused the young boy to stumble, falling to the ground. He looked up as he heard a man's voice – 'Hand it over or I'll fire on the kid!'_

_Immediately the fight went out of Hayner's mother and she dropped to the ground next to Hayner, who clutched, sobbing, to her. The now-familiar barrel was pointed at his mother – though in moments the man with the gun focused on Hayner. Suddenly it was just him and the man with the gun, encased in darkness._

_The gun shimmered and began changing into a snake – a large black thing, some cross between a king cobra and a boa constrictor. It slithered out of the man's hand and around Hayner's feet. He could do nothing as it wrapped around his entire body, squeezing the life out of him. Its head came to rest just next to Hayner's face, and when it opened its mouth to hiss Hayner saw massive fangs that dripped black. He let out a choked cry as it pulled tighter, tighter around his neck, and suddenly it struck–_

And Hayner let out a gasp as he was shaken awake from his nightmare. He blinked several times, brown eyes locking with Roxas's blue ones. They were filled with concern, resting under furrowed eyebrows.

"D...did you wake me?" Hayner felt slight embarrassment flood him. If Roxas knew to wake him, then...

"You were making little whimpery noises," Roxas explained softly. "Were you having a nightmare?"

Hayner swallowed hard, his mouth dry, and nodded. "Y-Yeah." He looked away from Roxas, instead choosing to look at a pattern of fake wood grain on the table. He was in school, so it wasn't like he had the nightmare because he was at home. An overwhelming sense of defeat flowed over Hayner, making his throat feel tight.

"You look kind of pale, Hayner, are you--" Roxas was cut off by the bell suddenly going off, signaling that the class was over and the students were free to leave. Hayner quickly stood, not bothering to pick up the book that had fallen off of his lap while he was napping. He just wanted out of there, and displayed this by briskly walking out of the classroom, ignoring Roxas's calls.

He wanted to be alone, more than anything, so hurried down passages he normally wouldn't use upon exit. Hayner kept his gaze fixed on the ground as he traversed the halls of the school, moving towards his one goal: the exit. As he closed in there suddenly was a wall of flesh in his way and he bounced backwards, glaring at the being that was in front of him. "Oh my god," he muttered incredulously. It was Seifer – _again._ How many times did he have to run into this guy this week?

Seifer looked like he was about to deliver a taunt of some sort (a 'watch it' sort of thing, surely) but that was replaced by a look of what could possibly be described as concerned curiousness. Before either of them could get a word in Hayner brushed past Seifer and hurried out of the school.

The gray skies that Hayner had seen this morning had turned to a more stormy version, producing fat drops of rain that splattered him with water. He stumbled down the steps and ran for the closest place he could find – the space between the school and the next building over. It was a small passageway that was open on both sides, but few came here. It was secluded enough.

He turned the corner and pressed his back against the wall, squeezing his eyes shut to fight back tears. It was hopeless; the dreams would torture him forever. He clenched one hand into a fist and slammed the side of it against the brick of the school building in frustration. It throbbed dully with pain, though Hayner payed no attention to it. He reached up with his uninjured hand to rub at his eye, but it was caught within someone's grip.

Hayner took in a gasp and his eyes flew open. His vision was slightly blurred, but it was easy to see who was standing directly in front of him, holding his hand.

"What happened?"

"Seifer, it..." Hayner lost his voice for a moment. When it returned it was timid and quiet. "You were wrong a-about the nightmares. I-I fell asleep during...study hall..." He felt his eyes stinging and shut them, dropping his gaze. He heard Seifer groan over the pitter-patter of the rain drops falling all around them.

The grip on his hand disappeared, and Hayner let the appendage drop. Seifer's rough hand was now touching his cheek. Hayner lifted his face and before he could stop it, tears were rolling down his cheeks, mingling with the rain. Within seconds of locking eyes with Seifer he was pulled into an embrace, and Hayner just couldn't hold back the stream of emotion anymore.

But it felt like with Seifer, he didn't need to.

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry that took longer than usual! D: Hope the chapter make up for it.


End file.
